One of my favorite ways to save money is by finding things to reuse to save money. We spend so much money out of our budgets buying new items when in reality, we could reuse a whole lot more to spend a whole lot less. Finding new uses for something is another great way to save. In our house, we try our best to think outside of the box on how to use things. We have found ways to upcycle old sheets, ways to upcycle empty milk jugs, ways to upcycle old towels, ways to upcycle old bottles, ways to use dryer sheets, and even ways to use kitty litter (clean of course)! One item that often gets overlooked as far as new ways to use them is a simple coffee filter. You might be surprised at how many different ways to use coffee filters that can help you save money.
Finding new ways to use coffee filters can be hard sometimes simply because they are such a simple item that it is very easy to overlook their uses. For most of us, they only have one use and that is to make that morning cup of goodness each day. In our home though, they’re one of my top things to reuse to save money. Granted, you’re not reusing them, but the basic idea is the same. You’re using a product that you already own in place of buying a new product. Since you aren’t spending money to buy the new product, you’re saving money in your personal budget.
Ways to Use Coffee Filters
These ways to use coffee filters will work with most regular filters. Obviously if you have the type that are pre sealed with coffee in them, they won’t work. Any other coffee filter will though no matter what shape it is. Most of these will seem like common sense once you’ve seen them. That’s usually how it works for me anyhow.
Use coffee filters as quick and disposable snack bowls – Coffee filters are great for snacks such as buttery popcorn, chips, or greasy snacks and for small servings of fruits for the kids. They wick away grease, hold the perfect amount and are easy for little hands to hold onto. When my Emma was younger, I would often give her a snack like my homemade fruit and yogurt bites in a coffee filter to make things easier. She got a yummy snack and clean up was a breeze!
Keep your microwave clean from food splatter – Most food will splatter and pop when put into the microwave. Luckily, your trusty coffee filters can help keep the microwave clean from those splatters. Use a coffee filter like you would to cover your food and your microwave will stay clean and shiny.
Use them as a paper towel for windows and glass – Glass can be hard to clean since paper towels often leave a lint residue and microfiber cleaning cloths can be expensive. Instead, clean your window with an awesome homemade glass cleaner recipe and a coffee filter. You’ll have clean glass without little pieces of lint left behind.
Use a coffee filter to soak up grease – Grease on a plate or excess grease in your food can ruin a meal. Paper towels will often rip when grease soaks through them though and can leave tiny pieces of paper towel on your food. Instead, use a coffee filter to soak up the grease. They are stronger and are made for liquids which means they are less likely to tear.
Use coffee filters to make dryer sheets – Commercial dryer sheets are expensive, but a good homemade dryer sheets recipe will save you quite a bit of money. To use a coffee filter to make homemade dryer sheets, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to a small amount of white vinegar. Toss in the dryer to use.
Use a coffee filter to separate tortillas for freezing – I love stocking up on tortillas when they’re on sale, but I hate freezing them together. They tend to get stuck to each other and then rip as they’re being pulled apart to use. To keep this from happening, you could use expensive parchment paper or you could simply use a coffee filter! Layer a new filter between each tortilla and freeze as you normally would! I have to confess, this is one of my favorite ways to use coffee filters!
Use a coffee filter to absorb oil in your face – Those oil and shine control blotting papers that you buy from the store to absorb oil and shine for your face are expensive, but if you have a coffee filter laying around it will work just as well.
Use coffee filters to make arts and crafts with the kids – Coffee filters are fantastic for doing crafts with the kids! Add a bit of watercolor paint and you’ve got an awesome stained glass window craft or a super fun rainbow. You could use them in place for crafts that called for cotton balls too!
Use coffee filters to sprout garden seeds – Learning how to start garden seeds is super easy when you use a coffee filter. Simply wrap the seeds in the filter, wet it down and place in a jar. Your seeds should sprout within a week or so!
Use a coffee filter to control shoe or gym bag odor – If you’ve got stinky shoes or stinky sports equipment, you’ll love this next idea for ways to use coffee filters! You can control stinky shoes and bags with them! To do so, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the coffee filter. Then, fill with baking soda and tie shut. Stuff it in the shoes or drop it in your sports bag to get rid of yucky odors!
Use coffee filters to prevent rust in cast iron cookware – Cast iron is easier to care for than most people think as long as you take the time to learn how to care for cast iron before you use it. What most people don’t realize though is that a simple coffee filter can help. If your cast iron has water or liquid in it, you can use a coffee filter or two to soak it up. This will prevent rust keeping your cookware in great condition!
Use coffee filters to protect breakables – If you’re moving or packing up the fine china, coffee filters work great for adding a layer of protection around them to keep them from breaking. What I’ve found is that it works best to wrap 2-3 filters around each one then tape the top one down. Wrap in a layer of newspaper after and they’ll be nice and snuggly wherever you pack them!
Use coffee filters to help clean your shower head – Your shower head can be hard to clean if it has a lot of nooks and crannies. To make it easy on yourself, soak a couple of coffee filters in a homemade bathroom cleaner recipe then secure onto the shower head with a rubber band. Allow it to soak for a bit, remove and wipe off. It should make things much easier to do!
Use a coffee filter to remove fingernail polish with them- I am a huge fan of Julep nail polish and like to wear several different shades each week. What I don’t like is lint left behind on my nails from a paper towel, cotton ball or toilet paper when I remove my polish. That’s why this one is probably my favorite of all of these ways to use coffee filters! A filter won’t leave lint behind and removes the polish just as well – if not better – than a paper towel!
Use a coffee filter as a makeshift pet food bowl – We love this one! If you’re planning a hiking trip and are taking your dogs along, grab a couple of coffee filters to use as a makeshift dog food bowl while you’re on the trail. They are so lightweight and can be folded to fit into almost any backpack pocket that it just makes sense!
Use a coffee filter to clean fruits and vegetables – Cleaning the vegetables for dinner or fruit for a snack? Grab your homemade vegetable wash recipe and a couple of coffee filters! Since they’re made for liquids to pass through them, they’re stronger than a paper towel. This makes scrubbing and cleaning your vegetables so much easier! They also work for anything that you’re putting into a mesh strainer to clean. Line the strainer with a coffee filter and it will be a breeze to lift the entire shebang up out of the strainer!
Use a coffee filter to remove makeup – My Emma loves this one making it a favorite in our list of ways to use coffee filters! Coffee filters might be stronger than a paper towel, but they’re also softer. This makes them perfect for using to remove makeup! Simply dip a coffee filter into your favorite makeup remover and wipe your face clean!
Use a coffee filter to hold paints or other thick liquids for kids crafts – #18 on our list of ways to use coffee filters makes cleanup a snap for parents everywhere! Unfold the coffee filter so that it lays flat and use it to hold paints and whatnot for kids crafts! When you’re done, simply toss the coffee filter! No muss and no fuss!
Use a coffee filter to oil or grease a pan or baking dish – Greasing a baking dish can sometimes be messy, but #19 in our list of ways to use coffee filters can keep them mess away. Dip the coffee filter in oil or spread butter on it and use it to wipe down the skillet or baking dish. Doing so will keep the oily residue from getting all over your hands.
Safely clean computer monitors or flat screen televisions – Screen cleaning cloths can be expensive, but a coffee filter is soft enough to use instead. Simply swap the coffee filter for what you normally buy and you’ll have a clean screen for much less!
Wipe down stainless steel – Stainless steel scratches incredibly easy so you will want to avoid cleaning it with a sponge or rag that could scratch it. Using a coffee filter with your favorite stainless steel cleaner though will ensure that you have clean stainless appliances without the risk of scratching them.
There you have it! My top 21 ways to use coffee filters! Do you have any others? I’d love to hear them!